A phase of life,
not a disorder.
Perimenopause and menopause bring a cluster of symptoms most women recognize long before anyone names them: sleep that will not come, a shorter fuse, stress that hits harder and takes longer to leave, a body that runs hot and cold on its own schedule. Dr. Fogle specializes in treating the psychological effects of both, and Atlanta GYNs refer their patients to her for exactly this care.
Sound familiar?
You handled hard things your whole life. You know how to push through, adapt, and figure things out. Then perimenopause arrives, and the tools that have always worked suddenly stop working. None of this means something is wrong with you. It means your body has changed the rules.
- Insomnia and broken sleep, even when you are exhausted
- Stress intolerance and slow recovery: what you shrugged off five years ago now knocks you flat, and once activated, calming down takes far longer than it used to
- Identity shifts: questions you didn’t expect. What do I want now? What makes me happy? Who am I in this next phase?
- Temperature swings that follow no schedule you can plan around
- Resentment at home that surprises you: loving your partner and not liking them, at the same time
Treatment, not toughing it out.
Many women in this phase find themselves asking what they want their life to be about, what makes them happy, and how to renegotiate a marriage that has run on the same terms for decades. Individuation like this is a normal part of midlife, and it can be worked through. The work usually covers:
- Sleep and nervous-system regulation. Addressing insomnia and rebuilding your ability to settle after stress.
- Stress tolerance. Understanding what has changed and developing ways to move through activation without staying there.
- Identity and the next chapter. Getting clearer about what you want your life to be about, what makes you happy, and who you are becoming.
- Marriage and relationships. Renegotiating patterns and expectations that may have worked for one phase of life but no longer fit.
This phase does not have to be white-knuckled.
Many of Dr. Fogle’s patients arrive by GYN referral.
You are welcome to come on your own, too.